Caramelized Tanghulu Delight: Easy 10 Minutes Recipe for Fruit Candies

Posted on November 3, 2023December 22, 2023 by Lora Wiseman

The writer shares their first experience with Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese caramelized fruit candy popular as a street food. They also provide easy-to-follow instructions to make the candy at home.

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For the first time, I tried Tanghulu, caramelized fruit candies, in New York’s Chinatown during the autumn festival. The scent of the sugary syrup, combined with the enchanting aroma of fresh berries, captivated me. In addition to the delightfully appetizing glazed surface of the berries, the fruit crispy candies have an amazing taste! It is genuinely simple and delicious!

Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese snack that originated in northern China but is popular in various regions, including Hong Kong. It typically consists of skewered fruits, often grapes or strawberries, dipped in a syrup made from sugar. The fruits are coated with a crunchy, hardened sugar shell, creating a sweet and slightly sour flavor contrast. In Hong Kong, Tanghulu is commonly sold as a street food delicacy, offering a delightful mix of sweetness and tartness.

Caramelized Tanghulu candies are easy to make at home by yourself. It only takes 10 minutes to prepare these delicious caramelized crispy fruit candies. The result is a beautiful and tasty treat! Also, try this delicious snack: Crunchy Rice Sushi. Here’s a step-by-step recipe.

Ingredients for caramelized glazed tanghulu

So, let’s begin.

Time needed: 10 minutes

We’ll need:
–       Washed and dried berries and fruits (strawberries, grapes, mandarins, etc. work well).
–       8 Oz. (210 g.) of Sugar
–       1.7 Oz. of Water (50 g.)
–       Couple drops of Lemon Juice

Step
Add sugar and a few drops of lemon juice to the water. Cook the syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the sugar completely dissolves, thickens, and turns golden.
Step
Remove the syrup from the heat and conduct a “firm-ball” test. For this, pour very cold water into a clean bowl and add small amount of the sugar syrup. It should immediately harden. If not, continue cooking the syrup and perform the test more frequently until you achieve the desired result.
Step
Pre-threaded berries on wooden sticks should be dipped evenly into the syrup, ensuring the caramel is distributed evenly over the fruit.
Step
Dip the caramelized fruit candy into very cold, ice water for quick solidification. Tanghulu candies are ready!